Connecting with members during National FFA Week

From conferences to company visits, the Illinois FFA major state officers have stayed very busy over the past month.

During this time, the majors attended several events, including the Illinois County Fair Queen Pageant, six Ground Zero Conferences, a week of business and industry visits and the Professional Agriculture Students Conference.

Each year, the FFA major state officers are invited to attend the Illinois County Fair Queen Pageant. While in attendance, the majors assist the queens both on and off the stage.

County fairs play a vital role in Illinois agriculture and supporting county fair associations and county fair queens is an important partnership. By working together at the annual convention, Illinois FFA continues to strengthen agriculture across the state.

Shortly after the County Fair Annual Meeting and Queen Pageant, the majors began the Ground Zero Conferences. These conferences are made possible by section presidents, state officers and past officers serving as facilitators and team leaders.

As part of the theme, “Sparking Connections,” the conferences focus on building leadership skills in freshman and sophomore FFA members, exposing participants to opportunities within FFA and encouraging connections with members from across Illinois.

The first conference was held in Springfield at the Northfield Center. The majors were then scheduled to travel to Effingham; however, due to weather conditions, that conference was postponed until Feb. 20.

After the weather improved, the second conference was again hosted at the Northfield Center, followed by conferences at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, two consecutive conferences at Joliet Junior College and the final stop at Western Illinois University.

After completing six of the seven Ground Zero Conferences, the majors headed out for their second week of business and industry visits. This time, the group traveled south to visit several generous supporters of the Illinois FFA Foundation.

These visits included the Illinois Pork Producers Association, Seed Life, Sloan Implement Company headquarters, The Maschhoffs and Bayer Crop Science in St. Louis.

Each organization welcomed the majors and provided an inside look at their operations along with the goods and services they offer. Through these visits, the majors learned how FFA can support each business, as well as how the businesses continue to support the FFA organization as a whole.

As students graduate high school and begin college, their time in the blue jacket may be coming to an end, but their ability to be involved in agricultural events always continues.

When students begin college in Illinois, an organization called Professional Agriculture Students is something they can become involved in.

This opportunity is the next step from FFA career development events and leadership development events allowing for students to continue learning and applying their knowledge of agriculture.

Students compete on teams and in groups on a variety of topics from public speaking to precision technology to livestock production and everything in between.

The majors enjoyed assisting with the Illinois PAS spring conference and networking with many past FFA members.

When not traveling, the majors have been busy preparing for the 98th Illinois FFA State Convention. Preparation has included filming videos, creating graphics, writing scripts, assembling appreciation items and developing promotional materials.

In addition to convention preparation, the majors have been writing and memorizing banquet speeches to present to chapters across the state.

As the month comes to a close, the majors are preparing for the final Ground Zero Conference and National FFA Week, which will take place from Feb. 22 to 28.

After another busy and rewarding month, the majors look forward to connecting with members across Illinois during FFA Week.

Ethan Bremmer from the Pearl City FFA Chapter is the 2025-2026 Illinois Association FFA state reporter.